In a continuously progressive and evolving digital space, two Filipinas based in Denmark are dreaming of an inclusive tech community with equal opportunity for all.

Through ULAP.org, a Cloud Career Kickstarter Program, those dreams are not just too high above the clouds, but actually reachable for passionate, young learners interested in learning about cloud sharing, IT, and innovative technologies.

ULAP (which also translates to “Cloud” in English) stands for Underrepresented Youth Learning Assistance Program. The Program will open ten scholarship grants to passionate young IT aspirants all over the Philippines. Scholars will be based in the Philippines and will undergo training, mentorship, and certification programs for both cloud fundamentals and speciality careers.

The organization is founded in 2021, Marilag Dimatulac and Michelle Tabirao, in Denmark. Both are passionately advocating on helping communities by bringing digital literacy program accessible to the youth.

“The underrepresented group is very important to tap as they are the group of people that are in circumstances that have experiences difficulty to kickstart their career in tech due to lack of support, financial and the opportunity at hand,” Tabirao said.

“To be able to guide them on their career path, provide a space to network and grow, and provide the necessary tools and technologies will allow them to rise from circumstances and grow in the tech space,” she added.

The ten Filipino scholars will receive training on cloud fundamentals and a cloud specialty course to include Data Engineering, Data Science, Machine Learning, Developer, and Solution Architect. After the training, they will have to take fully paid certification exams such as Microsoft Azure Certifications, Google Cloud Certifications, AWS Certifications, Linux Foundation Cloud and Containers Certifications.

Why learning about ‘cloud’ is the future

Cloud computing is a style of computing in which scalable and elastic IT-enabled capabilities are delivered as a service using Internet technologies. In this digital age, technologies such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, augmented reality and the internet of things can transform existing enterprises by leveraging data, technological infrastructure and devices. Cloud computing, essentially, is the backbone of the data-driven, app-based tech ecosystem.

The increase of demand for the cloud makes the cloud job market on the rise. According to Gartner TalentNeuron, an online real-time labour market insight portal, “there are about 50,248 cloud computing positions available in the U.S. from 3,701 employers, and 101,913 open positions worldwide.

“As businesses rapidly transition their processes and data over to the cloud, the demand for digital experts is increasing. To address this, digital literacy is a key to overcome the skills gap in cloud,” ,” Tabirao explained.

How to apply

Leaning about cloud computing is the future of many enterprises globally. The scholarship aims to bridge the gap between the job market demand and the opportunities for promising underrepresented youth to tap into this opportunity.

Lucky for interested applicants, the application process is simple. You can “Apply as a Scholar” on Ulap.org and submit your motivational letter, resume and other requirements.

Interested applicants must be:

• a Filipino citizen
• at least a 2nd-year college student enrolled in any STEM course
• passionate about IT and innovation and dedicated to investing in personal development in the cloud, innovation, and data
• eager to build a strong relationship in the community and have a growth mindset

The deadline for application is on April 30, 2021.

Note from author: This story was first published on GMA News. See article here.

About the Author:

Sophia is the Global Editor of SubSelfie.com. She is also Editor in Chief and Outreach Manager for the Seafood Trade Intelligence Portal and foreign correspondent for GMA News. She graduated from the Mundus Journalism Masters Programme in University of Amsterdam in 2018.

She is the recipient of the 2019 Outstanding Media Award given by the Media Correspondent and Volunteer Organization (MCVO) in The Hague, The Netherlands. She is a media fellow of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism and recipient of 2016 Gawad Agong and Sarihay Media Awards for Excellence in News Reporting  on  the plight of indigenous people and environmental issues.  Journalism 2010, UP Diliman. Read more of her articles here.